Monday, November 19, 2012

Forgot to blog this, but I reluctantly went to see "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" a few weeks ago after Michael read that it was being touted as the "Sixteen Candles" and "Pretty in Pink" for the new generation. I wasn't enough aware of the massively popular book on which based, but the second I saw the trailer -- which was in heavy rotation in theaters for months -- I was shocked at how horrible and contrived it looked. But since I picked 100 percent 95 percent of the movies we see, I decided to appease Michael and go along. The film is not perfect -- I still don't know who "Dear Friend" is, and I still don't understand why every kid in movies who was lost and alienated is actually incredibly good-looking and DOES to go all the school dances and football games (I'll admit I wasn't hidieous, but I never attended a single "school" event that I absolutely didn't have to) -- but despite my best efforts to despise it, I left the theater thoroughly impressed. Kudos to author Stephen Chbosky for holding out for more than a dozens years to write and direct his adaptation his way. Not a big-screen must-see, but definitely worth seeing.

9 comments:

First of all... that pic of you is so freakin' sexy. I think you're a bit younger than I am, but were both 80's kids. Those legs. Those shorts! Not to sound pervy... but those are the pics that are good to have later in life!

Second... I kinda wanna see the movie. I'm reading the book. It's a light read despite some of the heavy themes. For the most part I'm enjoying it. I'll wait for see it via Netflix.

I have seen the film five tines in six weeks with four different people. It was the first novel MTV Books published. That was my initial attraction to the book in 1999 and I quickly fell in love with it.

And...the "Friend" to whom Charlie writes his letters is a tool therapists use to help their patients work thru their feelings. The idea is to get the thoughts out of the head and onto paper. It is like writing a letter to a dead relative to help you work thru unresolved issues. A lot of times, Charlie is writing in the style of a diary entry but at times, he is working thru his life.

As someone for whom this book made a big difference to understanding my teenage years, I thought that the movie did a very respectable job of putting together what is, in the book, a series of glimpses throughout Charlie's freshman year.

I thought that Ezra Miller as Patrick was perfect, Logan Lerman did a very good job, and, despite some "this isn't my natural accent" issues from Emma Watson, you can't help but watch every move she makes... It does pain me to say that I thought the weakest link in the movie was Paul Rudd, although the teacher character is given much more to do in the book than in the film.

While the best-executed part of the book is the middle (think December-January), the best part of the movie, I thought, was the end...

and suddenly I wrote a review. ee, sorry! I highly recommend the film, but I also hilghly recommend reading the (short) book first.